How to train your employees to offer a high-quality customer service?

by Suganyasree Rajesh

In corporate world, customer service is a decisive factor for the success of any business. Generally, managers are always occupied. They may not be well acquainted with the kind of customer service that is been offered by their employees. As a manager, it’s not always possible to observe how your employees react or respond to your customers. Hence, it is your responsibility to make sure that your “anticipated” customer service is been carried out through your employee’s communication with the customers. Being a manager, it is vital that you embed successful customer service awareness in your employees. Let’s take a look at some of ways through which mangers can create a friendly work environment and train the employees in such a way they provide effective customer service.

You are the exemplar

Being a manager, you are expected to educate (not counting the plain old verbal assurances) your employees and make them understand about the exact perception of customer service. You must be a proven example for them both noticeably and habitually. Though, sending your employees to attend some special courses on “how to provide a best customer service” might help, nobody can teach the employees about the outlook of customer service better than a manager.

Encourage your employees to come up with innovative ideas

Often, employees come up with many inventive and superior ideas that help develop the business processes. However, they might not reveal their ideas unless you inquire them personally. Be generous and grant your approval to implement productive ideas. Also, don’t forget to reward them. Because, people hate it when their thoughts are not accredited in a right manner. Proper acknowledgement advances them to perform in an unconditional way.

Your customer’s valuable feedback

Customer feedback is very important to move your business processes to next level. Make sure that your employee’s receive customer feedback regularly. Customer feedback can be obtained in 2 ways:

(1) You can request your customer’s to fill-out a survey form either in your company website or by sending postage-paid return cards. In the survey form, remember to allocate some space for the customer’s to write their name and contact number so as to contact them for any further clarifications.

(2) Every week, follow-up with at least 4 to 9 customers through phone-calls also. Call the customers whom you haven’t seen for a while. Examine the service communications and ask your customers about the modifications or any changes that they would love to notice in your business processes.

Appreciate your staff for providing a first-rate customer service

If one of your staff’s did a good job in dealing with a customer, let him/her know that you have noticed the good work. Appreciate your employee’s work instantaneously. Be very specific in your appreciation, like, “I heard that you helped out Mr. Jain in his travel bookings. Actually, he mentioned your name. Well done. I appreciate it!” Such explicit appreciations encourage your employees to perform well in future as well.

Allow your staff’s to take control

Permit your staff’s to take control (to mimic your role) on certain customer issues. Set a money-limit. Allow them to expend only that particular amount to solve an issue without reaching your (manager’s) help. Increase the amount as your belief in their decisions shoot up. This approach boosts self-confidence in your employees and trains them how to handle customer’s issues cautiously and tactically within the given budget.

Talk like an optimist

Any bad comments about your customers especially, in front of your employees will set a bad example for your employees. Say for instance, “Mr. Amit annoys me in this issue from the morning”. Your bad comment about “Mr. Amit”, a customer, will make your employee’s feel that you have no value for that customer and his business. In addition, employee’s outlook might turn into “Why should I respect that customer, if my manager doesn’t?” Therefore, you should express your feeling about ‘Mr. Amit’ as, “Mr. Amit is very specific about each and every tiny detail. So, make sure you check his invoices thoroughly before you mail them”. Such specific words express your concern for Mr. Amit. Ensure that you give a brief message about each and every customer’s personal attitude to your employees. This will give them a clear picture about the customer’s requirements.

Implement all these ideas in your work environment and be ready to reap the benefits!